GROUND AND POUND: Princeton University football player Joe Rhattigan carries the ball last Saturday in the season opener against visiting Lafayette. Senior running back and tri-captain Rhattigan rushed for a career-high 136 yards on 22 carries and three touchdowns to help Princeton defeat the Leopards 35-31. Princeton plays at Lehigh (1-2) on September 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Princeton University football head coach Bob Surace will tell you that senior running back and tri-captain Joe Rhattigan is the strong and silent type.

“It is amazing, not many people get named captain who don’t say much,” said Surace.

“It is a testament to him and his effort and the respect the players have for him. As coaches, we love guys like that, they just play hard, they don’t say much. The team responds to effort, not words, and Joe is a guy of action.”

Last Saturday against visiting Lafayette in the season opener, the powerfully built 6’0, 215-pound Rhattigan was in the middle of the action, rushing for a career-high 136 yards on 22 carries and three touchdowns to help the Tigers prevail 35-31 before a crowd of 13,420 at Princeton Stadium.

Rhattigan was at his bull-like best in the closing stages of the contest when Princeton ran out the clock with 5:22 left in regulation, clinging to the four-point lead. He rumbled for 22 yards on five carries as the Leopards never got the ball back.

In his matter of fact style, Rhattigan shrugged off his role in the final drive as he culminated a career day.

“The mood in the huddle is get the play done, do your job and finish the game,” said Rhattigan.

“I have worked hard every day since the season began and we’ve worked hard as an offensive unit. It is really not about me, it is about the guys up front and they blocked tremendously hard tonight. I think that showed.”

Opening night contained some anxious moments for Princeton as it trailed 14-7 and 21-14 before knotting the contest at 21-21 by halftime.

“It was about coming out on the second half and playing Princeton football,” said Rhattigan.

“It was getting back to playing fast and playing hard, like we have been practicing all training camp.”

Surace credited his defensive staff with making adjustments to slow down Lafayette and quarterback Drew Reed in the second half.

“I think coach (Jim) Salgado and coach (Steve) Verbit did a great job; we were putting our corners at a little bit of risk and their quarterback was on fire, he threw the ball today unbelievably well,” said Surace of Reed, who passed for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

“They mixed our coverages up and rushed with four men and our rush got better. We were able to get there with four men and the guys in the back were able to see the ball. Instead of playing man to man they were facing the quarterback and played the ball real well. I thought the pressure got better, I thought we had some guys really, forcing him into some more incompletions and interceptions.”

Senior linebacker Luke Catarius, who had a game-high 13 tackles and a key third quarter sack, thought the defense got better and better as the game went on.

“It was just the first game for us, shaking off the cobwebs,” said Catarius, reflecting on a defensive effort which saw Princeton hold the Leopards to 60 yards rushing and force two turnovers in the second half.

“We settled in nicely in the second half. I don’t think they were getting the ball off as fast as they were in the first half. I think us stopping the run game helped so they had to rely on their passing game and all around we played well.”

After a late defensive lapse by the Tigers when Lafayette marched 80 yards on seven plays and made it a 35-31 game on a touchdown pass by Reed with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter, the Princeton offense was determined to show a killer instinct.

“We come out on that last drive and coach (James) Perry gets in the huddle and says we are going to run the ball and we are going to finish,” recalled Surace, crediting senior quarterback Chad Kanoff for coming through in the clutch by hitting John Lovett for a 10-yard completion when Princeton was facing a critical third down and nine situation with 2:06 remaining in regulation.

“You saw the guys eyes just light up, like yeah we can do this, we believe. That was good because they had stopped us the previous couple possessions. To have the offense run the ball that hard and close the game out, it is like having closers in baseball with Joe, Johnny (Lovett), and Charlie (Volker).”

While getting the victory over the Leopards was good, Surace knows the Tigers have plenty of room for improvement as they get ready to play at Lehigh (1-2) on September 24.

“Every win is important, we know how hard it is, we only get 10 games,” said Surace.

“There is no ugly win, you play, and you correct it. Win or lose, you make corrections. To me, when you win, that is a great time to make corrections because you feel good. Lehigh is going to see us on film and they are going to know the spots we weren’t good at and they are going to attack us that way.”

Rhattigan, true to form, isn’t about to get carried away by the opening day triumph.

“It definitely sets a tone,” said Rhattigan. “We want to get better, you have to be playing your best football in week 10. Tomorrow we have corrections to go through; we are going to hit it hard and get ready for next week’s game.”